Thompson targets fight with Fury

David Price struggles to his feet after being knocked down by Tony Thompson in their Heavyweight bout at the Echo Arena, Liverpool. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday February 23, 2013. See PA story BOXING Liverpool. Photo credit should read: Dave Thompson/PA Wire

Published:11:55Thursday 28 February 2013

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Former world heavyweight title contender Tony Thompson called out Tyson Fury after sensationally knocking out the Morecambe man’s rival David Price.

The 41-year-old from Washington DC said he wanted to face Fury after silencing Price’s home crowd at Liverpool’s Echo Arena with a devastating second-round stoppage on Saturday.

And Fury seems open to facing the man who has lost twice to Wladimir Klitschko after his American debut with former world cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham at New York’s Madison Square Garden on April 20.

Dismissing talk of a rematch with Price, Thompson said: “They can talk all they want about a rematch, I am not coming over here again.

“They vastly underpaid me for this fight and I took this fight because of the opportunity.

“I have created my own opportunity now so if they want to fight me again, they have to come over to my side of the pond and pay me what I am worth.

“I want to fight Tyson Fury next. I wouldn’t even put him in the same league as David Price.”

And Fury tweeted in response: “Tony Thompson were r u! Ur gettin it after ya mate cunninghamn along with any other American heavyweight.”

A fight between Olympic Bronze medallist Price and Fury is the Battle of Britain most boxing fans want to see.

But Price’s loss seems to have put talk on any potential clash firmly on hold, with the Morecambe man having been widely criticised for withdrawing from purse bids for a British and Commonwealth title bout between the two earlier this month.

Instead the 6ft9in former Irish Heavyweight Champion, who has 14 knockouts in his unblemished 20 fight record, is edging closer to a shot at IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

His American debut will be his toughest test yet, and victory would see Fury fight one final eliminator before a mandatory shot at the Ukrainian.

Fury said: “Cunningham’s got all the tools; a former world champion, good fighter, he’s got a lot of skill.

“I’m looking to put on a devastating performance; the best of my career to date.

“I’m absolutely ecstatic to be fighting at Madison Square Garden; it goes back in history and I can’t wait to put my name with a long list of champions who have fought there - I’m a historian of boxing myself so this is definitely the pinnacle of my career so far.”

Fury-Cunningham will air at 4pm US time on NBC, the biggest television network in America.

Channel 5 will show the fight live in the UK.

The 36-year-old from Philadelphia, who has five defeats in 30 career bouts, lost his last fight, a close and controversial split decision to world-ranked Pole Tomasz Adamek in December.

Fury won his last bout, a wide 12-round points victory over Kevin Johnson.

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